Hey Madi, tell us a bit about yourself
Hi! I’m Madeleine Sherburn, or Madi. I’m a Naarm-based artist that primarily uses photography, video and installation in my practice. I tend to look into the relationship between the spectator, space and place. I’m also currently really interested in looking at the intersections between art, ecology and horticulture
How did you get into photography?
I was always interested in creating when I was younger, mainly drawing but during high school I was introduced to photography and just loved being able to capture my surroundings, every little fragment of life I passed and actively seeing what’s around me. Since then I haven’t really looked back and I also felt like it was an opportunity to connect with other people. Since then, I went to study photography and found a great space to delve into my practice further and learn from amazing photographers and artists who are so passionate about the medium. It really helped me appreciate the camera a lot more and have it become a key aspect of my practice.
What is your biggest influence?
Through searching, actively looking around me and reflecting, that’s where I find most of my influences. It can be a variety of things, like nature, certain plants, people, books, places I’ve visited, art works, and so on. I find that if I take the time to reflect, or even just the act of writing alone, I am able to connect with my ideas better and visualise what to do next. Other than that, I can’t say that there’s a larger influence in my work, I’ve made a few very different works over the past few years that it’s difficult to pinpoint where exactly where the influence came from. Sometimes it’s the people who I share my work with help me gain greater insight into my practice and where I should go with a certain idea.
What has been the biggest challenge and success in your practice?
My biggest challenge is overcoming blocks, it’s something I find difficult to see past at times and it can lead to a bit of a pause in my creative practice. For me, it’s an almost overwhelming sensation of understanding what steps could be taken next but being stunted from taking action. But I’m slowly noticing when these blocks come up and trying new ways to get through and re-motivate myself. I’ve found if my mind and body are blocking me, it really is a sign to rest. A recent success of mine would have to be participating in an artist residency in Fukuoka, Japan. It was a fantastic experience to travel and create work in a completely different context. I had to find new ways to work as I didn’t have all my usual networks or equipment. But I remained flexible and created a body of work that felt complete, which was a real surprise to me. To anyone that is considering apply for a residency, you definitely should! You will meet new people and get a new perspective on your work and self.
What would be your dream project?
I have some big ideas for art works and projects but I think my biggest dream currently is to have a sustainable and consistent creative practice that is ever-evolving. To be able to maintain a strong connection with creativity is at the forefront of my mind. And even to better understand the ebbs and flows of my creativity would be fantastic. But other than that, I would love to create a full body of work about moss! Perhaps an entire space that is just covered in moss, or a collections of natural materials coated with a green flesh. It is such a fascinating plant that you can find when you least expect it. Moss supports strong ecosystems below and above its surface. I find it is a very human plant and their temporality is amazing, weather / environmentally respondent, taking over its surroundings if it suits them. I am currently growing my own and seeing which locations it can survive and thrive.
How do you find inspiration for your work?
I go out to local galleries or go online and spend time looking at 2 others works. I find that keeping myself aware of what conversations are circulating it can also help me situate my work and what I want to say. I’ve also found that I am inspired by nature quite a bit, going outside, actively situating myself and spending a small bit of time in a different space can sometimes give me a kickstart and find new ways to look at my ideas and self. Other than that, I typically collect small bits and pieces that I find exciting, even other images that I can one day look back at and see how it changes.
What’s next for you?
Right now I’m currently focusing on some curatorial projects I’m working on. I’ve wanted to work closer with other artists for quite some time and feel that at this point in my creative process I would love to share works made by others and find spaces for it to be seen and enjoyed. I’m also still shooting, mainly for myself and in my local area with the intention to build a small archive of images. From there, I’ve been slowly dissecting and understanding the reasonings behind my choice of capture, whether its a certain moment, or feeling I held close that lead to the final frame. It’s mainly therapeutic for me to be out and shooting and I love that. We need more time to just photograph for the sake of enjoyment and understanding. Of course I’m always open to working more with others and am happy to hear from people who want to work together, even just a casual shoot!